All pitch chimney flashing



Jan. 16, 1968 E. E. MILLER 3,363,369

ALL PITCH CHIMNEY FLASHlNG 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1965 m N E V m Ear/ E. Mil/er wgm ATTORNEYS Jan. 16, 1968 Filed Oct 23, 1965 E. E. MILLER 3,363,369

ALL PITCH CHIMNEY FLASHING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

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' lhl v INVENTOR Earl E M/l/er ATTORNEYS Jan. 16, 1968 E. E. MILLER ALL PITCH CHIMNEY FLASHING Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 23, 1965 INVENTOR Earl E. Mil/er ATTORNEYS QWMtM BY W United States Patent 3,363,369 ALL PITCH CHIMNEY FLASHING Earl E. Miller, 1310 W. Edgewood Drive, Appleton, Wis. 54911 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,625 Claims. (Cl. 52-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A prefabricated chimney flashing especially adapted for use around brick or cinder block chimneys. Predetermined lines are marked along the sides of the flashing to facilitate the bending of the lower flap to correspond with any standard pitch roof. All other joints are preformed ready for assembly in a manner to form a watertight enclosure. A counterflashing slides over the top of the flashing with a turned-in flap for embedding in a chimney mortar joint.

This invention relates to a ready-made flashing for chimneys. More particularly this invention relates to a flashing to be used where a brick or ceramic chimney comes in contact with the surface of a roof. A flashing is used to prevent rain or water seepage around the joint between the chimney and the roof. The flashing of the present invention is of a simple dismountable type having members adaptable to conform when assembled to any customary degrees of roof inclination. It may be prefabricated sothat it can be readily assembled on the job.

These flashings are preferably made of a light weight metal and/ or several other adequate materials.

'l wo undesirable qualities frequently occur in connection with the prior art.

The first quality is that the hand-made flashings have the disadvantage of being not disassemblable. These flashings, because of their bulk, require considerable storage space and/or transportation space. In addition, these flashings also require a certain amount of specialized labor and tools to obtain the needed alignment of the chimney flashing and the roof.

The second undesirable quality is that frequently these flashings, although being dismountable, require the use of maneuvers such as: soldering, measuring and cutting of the chimney elements to align them with the roof pitch.

The flashing of the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned impracticabilities by offering the house builder a simple, economical, easily assembled chimney flashing that can be adapted to a roof pitch by merely folding a number of chimney housing panels in alignment with said pitch, along pitch-lines indicia marked on the flashing.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide the house builder with a practical chimney flashing adaptable to all roof pitches.

Another object of this invention is to provide a chimney flashing of easily assemblable nature capable of reducing storage, transportation cost and installation expenses.

A still furthher object of this invention is to provide a chimney flashing that can be installed without the need of utilizing specialized labor and/or tools.

A further object of the invention being to provide an economical chimney flashing.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of the construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts in which the invention is embodied.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from thhe following description of the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective partially in section of the chimney flashing;

'FIGURE 2 is a top plan view showing the chimney panels with parts separated;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the parts as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the chimney assembled parts including a counterflashing;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective of a preferred construct-ion of the counterflashing;

'FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a unit of a modified counterflashing;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section of a corner of the counterflashing illustrated in FIGURE 6 showing an assembly of cooperating units; and

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of a flashing member showing the indicia marking for the folding of the panel member.

'In the drawings similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views. In describing a preferred embodiment, the words folded and bent are used interchangeably, and the tongue channels described are also known in the sheet metal trade as hems and hemmed joints.

General reference numeral 3 in FIGURES 1 and 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Particularly in FIGURE 1 said numeral 3 shows a completed chimney flashing with its corresponding counterflashing securely installed on a roof, in alignment with the roof pitch, and housing a chimney 23.

Numerals 6 and 7 indicate a set of two pairs of panels which when assembled, in accordance with the invention, form the chimney flashing shown by general reference 3.

The pair of panels shown by reference numeral 6 form the front and back of the flashing and are substantially similar structures. The only difference between these panels being inthe direction that the outer edges of their respective upright portions are bent. Conversely, panels 7 are of identical structure and form the sides of the flashing.

In FIGURE 2 a clear illustration of the particular structural characteristics of each of the pair of panels is provided. It is apparent from said FIGURE 2 that each panel housing member 6 has upright portions 32 and 36 and a bent folded-portion or principal flap indicated by numerals 8 and 30, said upright portions 32 and 36 including bent outer edges defining a pair of tongue channels 11. However, in this connection, it should be noted from the illustration in FIGURE 2 that said channels 11 in the upright portion 32 of one of panels 6 is bent inwardly of the panel and defines an angular ear portion or secondary flap 15; while said channel 11 in upright portion 36 of the other panel is bent out-wardly of an angul ar ear or secondary flap portion 34 defined in said panel. This structural arrangement makes possible the sliding insertion of each one of panels 6 on corresponding bent channels 14 of the pair of panels 7 as will be further described in detail.

The above-mentioned folded portions 8 and 30 in the pair of panels shown by numeral 6 may be bent to such an inclination as to be in alignment with the pitch of the roof portion with which they are in contact as particularly shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. These flaps 8 and 30 extend along, past and behind said upright portions 32 and 36 and include a projecting portion or secondary flap on each panel as shown by numerals 15 and 34. The projecting portions 15 and 34 on each of said panels 6 define extensions of each flap portion 8 and 30,that will overlap and be overlapped by a correspond- 3 ing portion 9 of each one of panels 7 when said panels 7 are assembled with panels 6, as shown in FIGURES l and 3.

Numeral 7 shows an identical pair of upright panels or sides having their respective outer edges turned in opposite directions as indicated by numeral 14, particularly (see FIGURE 2) to define anelongated S. The fact that one panel edge is inwardly bent while the opposite panel edge is bent outwardly thereof, makes it possible for each one of panels 7 to be conveniently assembled, overlapping at one end and overlapped at the other, in connection with a folded portion 9, by a folded portion 8 and 30 of each one of panels 6 above described.

The above-mentioned folded portions 9 in panels 7 may be folded to conform in alignment with the roof pitch along indicia marks shown adjacent a panel edge (see numeral 19 in FIGURE 3 and with further detail in FIGURE 8). Said indicia marks 19, may, the material utilized permitting, be stamped, or engraved, to define fold guiding lines on said panels to indicate varied roof pitch degrees.

Reference numeral 13 as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 8, refers to a portion of said flap 9 protruding past a channel 14 on one end of the edges of said pair of panels identified by numeral 7, it will be noted that said flap portion 13 on flap 9 of panels 7 only projects past one of said channels 14. Whereas, in the case of flaps 8 and 30 on panels 6 the secondary flaps 15 and 34 project beyond channels'll.

FIGURE of the drawings shows, as identified by numeral 5, a counterflashing assembled to be used as a cover for the chimney flashing indicated by reference numeral 3. FIGURE 6 shows a construction variation of said counterflashing 5. It should be noted that such counterfiashing as shown in FIGURE 5 illustrates an already assembled counterfiashing made of a single molded strip of material. This counterflashing has three angular inward folds as shown by numeral 26 in order to define a quadrangular structure having the ends thereof joined by any known securing means such as soldering, or by screwing together such free ends as shown by numeral 21.

FIGURE 6 shows a varied construction of counterflashing 5.. In this construction, the counter-flashing is formed by assembling together four identical units 28. The assembling of the units being possible due to the special structure of each of said units, where numeral 16 identifies a number of hook like brackets and numeral 18 shows a number of notches or slots wherein hooks 16 will fit and lock.

To assemble a counterflashing with the above described units it is necessary to insert hook brackets 16 into corresponding slots 18 of another unit, and so on, until four units are assembled together and form a counterflashing such as identified by reference numeral 5.

It will be surmised from the foregoing description that this article is capable of being furnished in a dismounted condition and easily assembled in situ without the need of complicated tools or specialized labor.

As an example thereof, and without necessarily limiting the order to that described; the chimney flashing of this invention may be assembled as follows:

A pair of upright panels 7 appropriately spaced from each other form two sides of the housing. Flap portion 9 of said panels 7 being bent to conform with the angular inclination of the roof pitch along the line corresponding to such angular inclination as shown by guide indicia mark 19 on said panels 7.

A panel 6 having upright portion 32 and flap portion 30 is made to overlap above flap portions 13 on folded portion 9 of said panels 7 by means of inserting channels 11 of said panels 6 into channels 14 of panels 7 or vice-versa and sliding said panels until both end portions 15 on flap 30 of panel 6 are in overlapping end contact with flap portions 13 of flap 9 of said panels 7.

Afterwards another panel 6 having upright portion Finally, an assembled counterflashing formed as de-- scribed and illustrated either in FIGURES 5 or 6 is positioned on top of the chimney housing formed by said panels 6 and 7 and fixed on the flashing by securlng means, not shown, such as screws.

The chimney of the present invention may be made of sheets or plates of any adequate light weight material, such as foldable aluminum or steel. In some instances it may be possible to utilize plates or sheets of heat and/ or cold resisting plastics.

In a typical installation the chimney, from its base in the basement or first floor of the house, would be built of 16 inch square concrete or cinder chimney blocks." These blocks are widely available commercially and have flue passages in them that are aligned as the chimney is built up to the required height. Each block is usually I about 8 inches in height. The blocks are built up so that one or two blocks protrude through the roof. The-flashing of the present invention is then installed as previ-.

ously described. A layer of mortar is put on the top of V the uppermost block and the counterflashing is placed over the uppermost block and its mortar layer. The inwardly protruding surface will lie on top of the mortar layer. An additional layer of mortar is then laid on top surface 40 and conventional brick of a suitable color and texture to blend with the exterior of the house 7 truding surface 40 is firmly held in the mortar joint and the part of the chimney above the counterfiash, i.e., the visible portion, is' built of brick which is more weatherproof and better looking than the more economical and easily built cement block section below the flashing. The surface 40 may have holes through itso the mortar can flow through for easier sealing. The

surface 40 has an upturned lip portion 42 along its inner edge to act as an additional water deflector in case of leakage down the chimney or through the exposed mortar joints above it. The upper (brick) portion of the chim' ney isfinished off with ceramic tile fluid 44 through it and a concrete cap 46 (formed on the job) as the uppermost part. f

The dimensions of the article herein disclosed as well as of the parts described can be varied, and of -course,.be

determined by the natureand size of the chimney flue. The same may be said concerning the materials utilized to build the article. These can be readily determined by those skilled in the art, as Well. as also, possible modifica: tions and adaptations of the disclosed structures. Consequently, although a specific embodiment has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those details except as may be required by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An all pitch chimney flashing having two sides, a front panel and a back panel, said two sides comprising a pair of oppositely facing panels, each having vertical sides with first and second turned edges extending in substantially vertical orientation, the lower edge of each panel being bent outwardly along a predetermined line to form a flap normal to the vertical sides which conforms with the pitch of a roof; said back panel having a vertical side with turned edges engaged with a first turned edge of each of said sides, the lower edge being bent to form an outwardly extending principal flap and two inwardly extending secondary flaps at the inwardly facing corners which overlie said normal flaps when said flashing'is assembled; said front panel having a vertical side with turned edges engaged with a second turned edge of each of said side panels, the lower edge being bent to form an outwardly extending principal flap and two inwardly extending secondary flaps at the inwardly facing corners which underlie said normal flaps when said flashing is assembled.

2. A chimney flashing as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said normal flaps has a protuberance extending beyond its turned edge which engages said back panel.

3. The chimney flashing of claim 1, wherein one of said turned edges of said side extends outwardly of the panel.

4. The chimney flashing of claim 1, wherein one of said turned edges of said side extends inwardly of the panel.

5. The chimney flashing of claim 1, wherein one of said turned edges of said side extends outwardly and the other turned edge extends inwardly to define an elongated S configuration.

6. The chimney flashing of claim 1, wherein said turned edges of said back panel are bent inwardly.

7. The chimney flashing of claim 1, wherein said turned edges of said front panel are bent outwardly.

8. A quadrangular counterflashing adapted to be slideably mounted over the top of the flashing defined in claim 1.

9. The counterflashing of claim 8, having an inwardly bent lip adapted to be embedded in a chimney mortar joint.

10. The counterflashing of claim 8, comprising an integral strip having cut lines defining a number of folds,

wherein the free ends can be joined after installation around a chimney.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,429 9/1890 Kirchhoff 52-301 1,860,240 5/ 1932 Friedrich 52-300 X 1,883,508 10/1932 Bonday 52-58 X 1,998,315 4/1935 Glaser 287-18936 2,231,065 2/ 1941- Gabel 52-219 X 2,455,570 12/ 1948 Droeger 52-301 X 2,536,235 1/1951 Steelman 52-301 X 2,956,495 10/ 1960 Sublette 52-58 X 3,031,047 4/1962 Williams 287-18936 3,044,633 7/1962 Baker 287-18936 3,089,521 5/1963 Paiement 52-219 X 1,138,726 5/1915 Carney. 1,145,598 7/1915 Laboudigue. 1,331,835 2/1920 White. 1,370,199 1/1921 Downs. 1,442,587 1/ 1923 Steel. 2,821,900 2/ 1958 Primich. 2,985,091 5/ 1961 Hatcher. 3,041,956 7/1962 Miles. 3,173,354 3/1965 Kinkead 52-219 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,287,555 2/ 1962 France.

833,539 4/ 1960 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. C. G. MUELLER, Assistant Examiner. 

